Unexpected Changes
by FireboltPheonix
Summary: On her birthday Hermione finds out that she's not who she thought she was.Struggling to come to terms with this she is forced to change how she acts, talks & who she hangs out with. After awhile though,she shows her true self.How will her new family react
1. Introducing Hallie

**On her Birthday**

This story came to me while I was reading others of the same plot. In them Hermione accepts the news instantly, finds love and new friends. This would not happen to the Hermione we all know and love. So I decided to write an account on what I guess should be the real story.

Read On...Read On…

* * *

**You're not alone,**

**Together we stand**

"Hermione?" Hermione rolled over in bed and groaned.

"What Mom?"

"Time to get up, breakfast is nearly ready"

"Coming" Hermione rubbed her eyes with her hand. It was all red and marked from the creases on her bed sheets. Sitting up she looks around her blue room.

_I need a change in here. Maybe I could ask mom to buy me a new duvet set?_

Hermione was trying to think up a good excuse for her mom when it suddenly dawned on her as she stared at the calendar on her wall.

_Today's my birthday! I'm seventeen! I'm of age!!_

Hermione jumped onto her double bed, suddenly filled with energy. Without thinking, she pointed at her CD player and on came her favourite band, the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

_Whoa! I could never do wandless magic like that in Hogwarts._

Hermione then froze and waited for five minutes, just to be sure. When she saw no sign of an owl from the Ministry saying she had done underage magic. She started jumping on her bed to 'Californication'.

After awhile Hermione decided she better get ready. She grabbed her bathrobe from the hook on her bedroom door. She stepped into the hallway, only now realising the quietness of the house. She felt guilty as her CD player blared inside her room.

_Quiet!_

The song stopped and she could now hear nothing.

_Not that quiet just so that I can hear a murmur of it out here._

**I'll be by your side, **

**you know I'll take your hand**

Hermione had never attempted wandless magic like this before. She didn't know what to say but her CD player became a bit louder. Just loud enough to hear a murmur of 'Tell me Baby' from where she was standing outside the door. She walked along the landing and opened the hot press. She took out a towel and headed into the bathroom for her regular morning shower.

Twenty minutes later Hermione was back in her room staring at her clothes. She didn't really have much selection.

_Thank Merlin I'm going shopping with my mom and Ginny today!_

Eventually, she decided on her white dress that had puffy sleeves. Hermione had always been tanned, the total opposite to her parents. The dress looked great on and she slipped her feet into fuchsia pink beach sandals. She turned off the CD player and then turned toward her wardrobe which had a mirror fronting on it. She dried her hair and put some serum in it to stop frizzing. She gave herself one last look over and headed downstairs.

"Morning sunshine! Your breakfast's gone all soggy. What were you doing for forty-five minutes?"

"I – forty-five minutes? Sorry, I didn't realise" Hermione replied sheepishly.

"That's okay hunny. Sit down and I'll get you your cereal instead."

Ellen Granger was a beautiful woman. She was around forty-two and had brown hair, the same colour as Hermione's. She was really tall though, another difference between Hermione and herself. Ellen had a slim figure, as opposed to Hermione's curvier figure. She put down a bowl of cornflakes with raisins mixed in them and handed Hermione a spoon.

"Thanks mom" Hermione started eating and five minutes later she was putting her now empty bowl into the dishwasher. Ellen was shaking at the kitchen counter, staring out on their back garden through the kitchen window.

"Mom, are you okay?" Ellen turned around and there were tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Mom, what's wrong?" Hermione asked, a trace of panic in her voice.

**When it gets cold,  
And it feels like the end,**

"Oh, 'Mione, you're growing up so fast" Hermione, sighed relieved that's all it was.

"Yeah, I guess I am" Hermione hugged her mom, to try and stop her crying.

"You're so beautiful love, you know that?"

"Uh, thanks"

"Happy birthday my baby girl" Ellen murmured into her daughters neck. She then took control of herself.

"Silly, mustn't be crying over such trivial things, eh?" Hermione chuckled.

"It's okay mom."

"No, it's not. I'm ruining your birthday. When are we due at The Burrow?" Hermione checked the clock on the kitchen wall.

"In two minutes. Mom, go get ready and be down here in one minute. The Floo network will only involve our house for three minutes." Hermione ran up to the bathroom and quickly, brushed her teeth. She ran into her room. She put on a tiny bit of brown eyeliner and some Vaseline on her lips. Hermione grabbed her big pink bag that matched her shoes; she put some hairspray in her hair and ran downstairs. Thinking of the mess in her room a wave of guilt overcame her.

_Scourifgy_

She hoped it had worked and raced into the living room. Her mother was waiting for her with a slightly nervous smile on her face.

"Don't worry mom, you'll be fine. Just make sure to keep your elbows tucked in!" Her mom nodded in reply. Hermione stepped up to the fire and took a small pot of blue powder out of her bag.

"Mom, here, take some of this, stand in the fire and say very clearly 'The Burrow'. Got that?"

"I think so!" Ellen stood in the fireplace and very clearly said "The Burrow". In a flash of green flames she was gone. Hermione did the exact same and not even thirty seconds later appeared in the Weasleys kitchen.

**There's no place to go,  
You know I won't give in  
no I won't give in,**

"MIONE!" before she could even open her eyes Hermione was being hugged on all sides, when finally let go of she saw Ron, Ginny Harry, Fred and George surrounding her. Hermione gave Ron a shy smile then turned her attention to the rest.

"Hey guys! You know that only Ginny's coming shopping yeah?!"

"Huh, no fair!" Hermione playfully smacked Fred's arm.

"Course we do, we just wanted to say Happy Birthday and give you your presents!" Hermione got really excited.

"Where are they?" She asked Harry.

"We'll never tell!" Hermione knew that if she didn't do something quick Fred and George would join in and the game would never end.

_Accio presents!_

A few seconds later the presents came zooming in to the kitchen and knocked Hermione over. It kind of happened in slow motion. Ron tried to stop her but tripped over his shoe lace and fell over himself. Then out of nowhere extremely strong arms wrapped around her upper body and pulled her out of the fall just in time. Hermione turned to thank Ron as she hadn't noticed him fall and had assumed he'd caught her. Instead she found herself staring into eyes that were of a golden colour and a face that had a tan the same as Hermiones.

"Hiya Charlie!"

"Hey Hermione, watch yourself next time"

"'will do" Hermione tore her eyes from Charlie's and helped pick Ron up off the floor. Turning to her mound of presents she picked the one on top.

"That's from me!" Hermione opened up the black box and inside it was beautiful bottle of perfume.

"Thanks Ron" Hermione squealed. She opened it and a smell of the sewers revolted her senses. She quickly closed it and gasped for fresh air.

"What was in that Ronald?"

**Keep holdin' on,  
Cause you know we'll make it through**  
**We'll make it through**

"Eh…I never really smelt it"

"Why?"

"'cause I, uh, I ordered it from one of Ginnys mail order things" Ron mumbled. Hermione shook her head ruefully and then started unwrapping all her presents. She'd gotten a voucher for _Mirror Mirror_, off of Ginny, a charm bracelet off of Harry, from Fred and George she'd gotten a telescope – the exact same one that had given her a black eye last year! And from Mr & Mrs Weasley she'd gotten a bouquet of wild roses in every colour.

"They're _Ever Blooming_. That means they will live forever, even if it's just in a vase with some water!"

"Wow, that must of cost-"

"You're worth it!"

Hermione hugged Molly and gathered her mother and Ginny and walked towards the fireplace. Ginny stepped into the fire and shouted "The Leaky Cauldron", her mother did the same. Hermione hugged everybody and then just as the green flames engulfed her, she noticed Charlie giving her an unreadable look.

Shopping was great. Hermione had gotten loads of new dresses, shoes, jeans, shorts and tops, books, plus make-up and some more serum for her hair.

Hermione staggered into her house at eight o clock. She saw her father watching the news on the TV. Dropping her bags she ran to him.

"Dad!"

"Happy birthday Pumpkin! How was shopping?" Tom Granger was a tall man, like his wife. He had brown/blonde hair and green/brown eyes. He had a handsome smile and was in good shape for forty-three.

"Shopping was great! I got so many clothes!"

**Just, stay strong,  
Cause you know I'm here for you,  
I'm here for you**

"That's great hunny! Elle?"

"Yes Tom?"

"Did you show it yet?"

"No, we just got back!."

"What's all this?" Hermione asked, feeling a bit left out.

"Your birthday present darling"

"B-but I thought shopping was my birthday present"

"It was – part of it-"

"There's more?" Her mother laughed, a sweet sound.

"Yes! Come on and we'll show you" Hermione's dad covered her eyes and led her up to her room. She heard her mom open the door. Her dad took his hands away from Hermione's eyes. She gasped in shock. Her room had transformed. The walls were now painted a gorgeous mellow yellow; her duvet was now chequered yellow and white with daisies on it. Her old blue carpet had been replaced with a light pine wooden floor.

"Oh, wow" Hermione said in awe, "It's absolutely divine! How did you-"

"Your father stayed off work, and with the help of your uncle Jeremy, fixed this place up in no time"

_Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh, oh my gosh!!! It's beautiful!_

Hermione and her parents, twenty minutes later were eating a delicious stir fry. When there was a CRACK, outside the front.

_That sounds like someone's just apparated in our garden!_

Hermione now suddenly fearful realised her wand was upstairs.

**There's nothing you can say (nothin you can say),  
Nothing you can do(nothin you can do),  
there's no other way when it comes to the truth,**

_Accio wand!_

She caught the wand in her left hand as it zoomed towards her.

"Honey-"

"Shhh, somebody's outside" Hermione crept to the door and readied herself. Instead of hearing curses she heard people talking quietly. Then the doorbell rang. Hermione warned her mother but Ellen opened the door anyway, much to Hermiones annoyance.

There in here doorway stood none other than Blaise Zabini and three people she couldn't recognise.

"Zabini?"

"Grange-" The woman to his left poked him and he said, rather stiffly, "Hermione" with a nod of recognition to Hermione's being alive. Hermione was about to ask why he was there when the woman enveloped her in a hug, worthy of Molly Weasley.

"Uh, mom?"

"Yes hunny?"

"Why are these people here?"

"Ellen, Tom, can we come in?" Hermione stared at her mother and father who were both extremely pale.

"Yes. Just through here" The group at the door entered the living room. Hermione stood in the hallway, shell-shocked.

_What in Merlin's name is going on here? How do they know my parents names?_

She closed the front door and walked dreamlike into the living room. She sat in between her mother and father.

"Oh Hallie you're beautiful" She said in an odd accent. Hermione looked around the room.

"Er, mom?" Ellen Granger leaned towards her daughter.

"Yes honey?"

**So, keep holding on,  
Cause you know we'll make it through,  
We'll make it through.**

"Is she a bit cookoo? There's no one here called Hallie"

"Hermione, Rena here, has something to tell you."

_Rena? So that's her name!_

"Seventeen years ago, Voldemort was stronger than ever, he p-p-put a ban on female children. I was so tired and weary and fed-up. I never supported him. But we had to; it was our only chance of survival. I'd put on a lot of weight. I put it down to the war. I was vomiting all the time. On the night of the 29th of June I felt my waters break. I hadn't known I was pregnant, but Calvino brought me straight to St.Mungos. I gave birth to Blaise at a quarter to twelve. I was relaxing and breathing heavily when around five minutes later a searing pain overcame my body – I was having twins! I pushed and pushed and pushed. Eventually, after fifteen minutes or so out came my second baby. You were my second baby. You Hallie Dasia Zabini came into the world on the 30th of June"

Everyone looked to see Hermiones reaction.

"I-I-I…WHAT? That couldn't have been. My parents", she said pointing at Tom and Ellen, "have pictures of me with them in the hospital and a video of my birth. I'll show you." Hermione stood up but her mom, Ellen, tugged her back down. Turning towards her, Hermione's eyes were brimming with tears.

"Mom? T-tell me it's not true. Is this some birthday prank?"

Ellen Granger looked into her daughters eyes and with the tiniest of movements nodded her head, indicating that all of this was true.

A jolt of a feeling Hermione had never experienced washed over her body.

_But I'm Hermione Jane Granger. I can't be Hallie Dasia Zabini?_

"You are now of age so the adoption rights are useless. You can now be our little Hallie, finally, after seventeen years of waiting." Hermione looked at the man who had just spoken, Calvino was his name.

**So far away,  
I wish you were here,**

"But I look nothing like you. I'm the same as my parents"

_What should I call them now? My parents? My step-parents? My foster parents? Ellen and Tom?_

"That can be easily fixed. You see we were planning on changing your looks, but we couldn't, you were too beautiful. So in the adoption papers, there was an enchantment. One that changed, not yours, but Ellen and Tom's features" Hermione gasped in shock. She turned to see her mom, or Ellen's hair turn form dark brown to blonde and her fathers, or Tom's eyes, change to blue and his hair to black. Hermione then felt some change take place in her. Her hair had changed from light brown to dark brown. She stood up, looked in the mirror and then felt tears roll down her face.

_Look what they did to my parents, or Tom and Ellen, as I should call them now. And my hair looks horrible when it's dark brown._

Realisation dawned on Hermione that her whole life had been a lie. This year, she thought she had finally figured out who she really was and now this. She ran out of the room and up the stairs to bathroom.

The sound of her vomiting could be heard downstairs where everybody sat in an awkward silence. The two Grangers were trying to come to terms with their looks again.

Hermione was up their for an hour. When she came downstairs she looked pale and red-eyed.

"I think you should leave" She said to the Zabini's. She still didn't know who the fourth person was. They all stared at Calvino. He in turn stood up and spoke softly to Hermione.

"I think you misunderstood. Tom and Ellen no longer have control over you. You are of age and must now, come live with us, in our manor, with your real family" His voice had an Italian sound to it. Hermione stared in shock. She couldn't move, she couldn't speak, she couldn't think.

**Before it's too late,  
This could all disappear,**

"Please go upstairs, pack and come back down. Blaise, Damen, go help her."

_Damen, so that's the other guys name._ Hermione thought as she walked up to her room.

She walked in and looked around. She could tell the two guys did not want to be here. Not caring about them she set about doing the hardest thing she ever had had to do. She took down pictures, teddies and trinkets off of shelves. She then went to her wardrobe which was now full of clothes from her shopping spree and took them down off their hangers one by one. Ten minutes later her room was empty except for the wardrobe and the bed with the new duvet set on it. Damen took two of the heavy suitcases, Blaise took the other two. They both left in silence, not having spoken one word to Hermione.

She walked over to the windowsill, picked up Crookshanks and walked out of her room, her footsteps echoing on the new floor. She gave the room one last look, wiped away stray tears from her eyes and the shut the door.

She entered the living room everyone was standing. Her suitcases had been sent somewhere, probably to their _manor,_ and the two boys Blaise and Damen had gone too.

"Come now, say goodbye, we must be off" Rena, her biological mother had said. Hermione walked over to Tom and Ellen and hugged both of them for a very long time. Kissing them both on the cheek she whispered, "I will always love you". She then took some Floo powder from Rena and stepped into the fire.

"What do I-"

"Zabini Manor" Hermione gulped, mouthed I love you one last time to Tom and Ellen and said, very clearly, "Zabini Manor".

Hermione steeped out of the fire in Zabini Manor and looked around. The place was magnificent. Damen got up off the chair he'd been sitting on and walked over to Hermione.

"I'll show you to your room" His voice, though he looked foreign, was English through and through.

**Before the doors close,  
And it comes to an end**

She followed him up two flights of stairs. He stopped infront of double doors.

"Here it is." Hermione opened the door and found no lights on. One thing she knew for sure, this was not a mellow yellow room.

"See you in the morning" Hermione turned away from him and he said something else.

"What did you say?" Damen looked Hermione straight in the eye and answered.

"It's not _that_ bad here" He closed the door behind him.

Hermione felt her way to the huge bed that was alien to her. She climbed under the duvet and sheets and broke down. Hermione had never cried this much in her life. She cried for hours. Eventually she fell asleep, to exaughsted to cry anymore.

_Maybe I'll wake up and this will all just be a dream._

With that final thought Hermione Jane Granger drifted into sleep, not knowing that tomorrow she would wake up and be Hallie Dasia Zabini.

**A/N:**

Hey! I hope you all like. The song is Keep holding on – Avril Lavigne.

All types of reviews accept once you have a point to make and not, "I don't like it"…why don't you like it??!!

Thanks a hunch of a bunch if you review it...

Love,

Firebolt**Pheonix**

**xxxx**-xxxx

REVIEW

**Review**

REVIEW

**Review**


	2. Coming Clean

**Coming Clean...**

**A/N:** Hey Guys, thanks for reviewing!! I'm going to have a bit of a confused Hermione for this chapter because…well…why shouldn't she be confused?!! Also, there'll be a twist in the Hermione/Ron relationship! Watch this space!! Thoughts in _italics_, lyrics to song in **bold.**

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my imagination and the plot and some characters! J. K. Rowling owns all the characters except Tom, Ellen, Rena, Calvino and Damen…They are all my doing- Mwahahaha!!

* * *

**I haven't really ever found a place that I call home,  
I never stick around quite long enough to make it.**

Hermione could feel something or somebody watching her. She was awake but kept her eyes closed. She had no idea where she was and why this bed she was in felt like a massive tent.

After five minutes she knew she was still being watched so, ever so slowly she opened her eyes. What she saw made her scream in shock. Standing over her was the ugliest house elf in history, she guessed. But that wasn't what had made her scream. The house elf was holding a tray of delicious food. But Hermione wasn't about to forget about S.P.E.W that easily.

_Why do my mom and dad have a house elf?_

Everything from last night came rushing back to her. The people who had raised her were not her parents at all. No, she was Hallie Dasia Zabini. Who would've ever thought that she "Mudblood Granger" was infact "Pureblood Granger"? Certainly not Hermione.

She sat up in bed and for the first time looked around her new room. It was bright pink with lime green.

_Aaaah, this room is giving me a migrane!_

Hermione kindly refused breakfast and the house elf disappeared in a puff of smoke. She got out of bed and stared in the mirror on her mahogany dressing table, it had already been stacked with designer moisturisers and such, which Hermione found very annoying. In the end she just left her room – she couldn't bear to spend another millisecond in there.

She padded down the hallway and turned left, then she took the second right, another left and yet another right and ended up infront of her room.

_Typical!_

She started down the hallway again when she bumped into Blaise.

_I still can't believe he's my twin!_

Blaise scratched his head and then eventually spoke to Hermione.

**I apologize that once again I'm not in love,  
But it's not as if I mind that your heart ain't exactly breaking**

"So, uh, hey"

"Quiet the conversationalist aren't you?" Hermione said with a smirk.

"Ya well, I only found out the other day so –"

"Really? At least you still live in _your_ house that _you_ grew up in, at least you still have _your_ room, at least you still have _everything_ you've ever had. I on the other hand have nothing. Now if you be so kind as to tell me where the kitchen is I would be grateful" Blaise stared at her then beckoned as if to say 'follow me'. Hermione followed him for ten minutes eventually realising that Blaise had no idea where the kitchen was.

"How can you not know where your own kitchen is?"

"Well I never had to go there, the house elves stay there and I stay out of their way"

"How very kind of you" Hermione then decided she better do something quick as she thought she might just faint with hunger.

"Er…house elf?" With a pop three house elves appeared around her, "Can any of you show me the way to the kitchen?" The house elves looked shocked for a moment.

"Oh yes Miss!"

"Come with us Miss"

**It's just a thought, only a thought**

_I guess them answering my request means that I am in fact one of their masters._

Deciding that she would restart knitting as soon as possible, Hermione followed the three house elves down a hallway, she turned left, then right, then down two flights of stairs and then through a swinging door and into a massive kitchen, where around thirty house elves were working away.

"What would Miss like?"

"I- uh- breakfast?"

"But Toby gave you your breakfast? TOBY?" The house elf Hermione had seen this morning appeared out of nowhere.

"Yes Rolphus?"

"Why did Miss not gets her breakfast? We shall have to tell Mister Cal-"

"Oh, no, I refused breakfast, I wasn't hungry" Hermione answered hastily.

"Oh, I is sorry Toby"

"'s no matter Rolphus" Toby disappeared and Rolphus turned to Hermione.

"What would you like Miss?"

"Oh, can I make my own breakfast?" Every house elf in the kitchen dropped what they were holding in shock.

"Miss wants to make her own breakfast?"

"Yes, I do" Hermione was not going to let the house elves work for her even if they worked for the rest of her 'family'.

"Oh, buts you cant's Miss, I would be in trouble with my Masters"

**But if my life is for rent and I don't learn to buy,  
Well I deserve nothing more than I get,  
'Cause nothing I have is truly mine.  
**

"Am I not your one of your Masters?"

"…yes…"

"So, Rolphus, I am ordering you to let me make my own meals. Okay?"

"…yes Miss…"

Hermione set about making herself porridge with honey drizzled on it. She sat at a little bar table with two stools. Sitting on one of them she started eating her porridge which was a bit chewy. Hermione made a mental not to make it differently tomorrow.

When she was done Hermione had one of the elves draw a map back to her room. She got there, eventually.

Upon entering her room, Hermione shielded her face against the colours. She headed to a door near her dressing table and found an en-suite. Hermione proceeded to have a shower. When she was done she put on a white bathrobe that came to just above her knees. Her hair was all stringy from being wet. Hermione looked around and wanted to send an urgent owl to tell the Weasley's and Harry to meet her in Diagon Alley but she couldn't even begin to guess where the owls were kept, so she walked out of her room and up two flights of stairs before she bumped into somebody.

"Sorry, I-" Hermione looked up to see silver/grey eyes giving her a once over. Draco Malfoy smirked at her as if giving his approval.

_Oh My Gosh, what's he doing here???_

"Ferret" Hermione made to walk past him when he cornered her.

"Hey Hallie, looking good" It took Hermione a few seconds to get over the fact that Malfoy had not called her a mudblood when she realised, she wasn't a muggle born, she was 'pureblood'. Hermione felt his rough, cold hands slide up her thigh.

_Aaaaaaaah!!! GET OFF ME!_

Before he could blink he was lying sprawled on the floor with a shocked expression on his face. It quickly changed to a smirk.

**I've always thought  
that I would love to live by the sea,**

"Playing hard to get are we?" Hermione lashed out a leg and felt it connect with his stomach or something and then ran for it.

Five minutes later, an out of breath Hermione slid down the side of a wall, opposite a door. She focused on regaining her breath to its normal rate.

Without knowing it, the door had opened and all of a sudden a shadow stood above Hermione.

"Hiya Hallie! Err…why are you on the floor?"

"Damen, hey. Just…exercising! Can you, uh, show me the way to wherever you keep your owls?" Damen pulled Hermione to her feet. They walked side by side up and down stairs. Hermione noted that he was around 5'8, tanned (like the entire family); he had teal coloured eyes and was of a muscular build.

"Damen?"

"Yeah?"

"Why do you have teal coloured eyes, I mean your – our family's Italian so shouldn't you have, like, black eyes?" Damen chuckled before answering.

"Blaise said you were smart! Anyway, dad is Italian but mom is Greek. It's kind of odd but yeah. You have real light brown eyes, kind of a mix. Blaise has dark eyes from dad's side and I take after mom with kinda blue eyes from her side. It's the same with our names. Blaise, well, he just got a plain English name but you got Hallie which is Greek and I got Damen which is also Greek. Dad wasn't too happy about it!"

"So am I older than you or…?" Damen gave a small laugh.

"Nope, sorry to disappoint you but I'm the eldest! I'm nineteen. You and Blaise are seventeen, as if you didn't know that! Here we are" Hermione looked around and found they were in a room like the Owlery at Hogwarts but much smaller.

**To travel the world alone  
and live my life more simply,**

"Thanks Damen"

"No, problem" He turned to leave but something was nagging Hermione.

"Hey Damen? Why have I never seen you at Hogwarts?"

"Maybe because I never went to Hogwarts, I went to Durmstrang. I've always hated the Dark arts but dad insisted on sending me there. For the last few years without Karkaroff it was brilliant. But I'm planning on going to Bransfort University in America, it's just a normal muggle college, just to get experience but there's an American magic school nearby so I've gotten a kind of part-time job there too. It's all starting in September, same as you and your seventh year in Hogwarts! I'll leave you, to, uh, write your letter in peace!" Damen left and Hermione looked around the Owlery for awhile, and then started writing her letter. She only wrote one as everyone concerned were staying in The Burrow.

Ten minutes later, surprisingly Hermione had found the way back to room easily enough with only one or two wrong turns. She dried her hair properly as it had begun to frizz from drying naturally. She then got dressed for Diagon Alley. She'd told the guys and Ginny to meet her there in half an hour. Hermione put on dark denim jeans as it looked it would rain. She then put a white v-neck top over it. She dried her hair and then did a tight, to the side French plait. She put on some blusher, mascara, brown eyeliner and Vaseline. She grabbed her white bag, wand and closed her door behind her as she ran down a lot of stairs. She kept running and running and twenty minutes later she reached a marble flight of stairs. Cautiously Hermione made her way down and found herself, surprisingly in the living room. Rena, her mother was there.

"Good morning Hallie. Did you sleep well? Was the room okay?"

Hermione felt like saying she'd slept fine but that the room gave her a constant migrane. But Rena looked so happy.

"Yes, everything was perfect…just perfect!"

**I have no idea what's happened to that dream,  
Cause there's really nothing left here to stop me.**

"Fantastic because I was going to do it up but now I won't bother. Where are you off to?"

"I- Diagon Alley-"

"Oh, are you going with Blaise? You to are getting on so well, and are you friends with his friends? Well you must be to be going to Diagon Alley with them!"

"No, I'm going to Diagon alley, to meet up with my friends. Ron and Ginny and Harry" Rena's face fell.

"Why not go with Blaise, Draco and Pansy?" Hermione tried not to laugh.

"Because I will never be friends with Pansy the pug and Ferret boy"

"That is no way to talk about them, and it's not Pansy's faul-"

"Look, Rena, I'm going out with my real friends, not some phonies-"

"Hallie Dasia Zabini, never talk to me like that again"

"Sorry. It's just they've been my best friends for six years and I want to tell them about all of 'this' and also to just hang out"

"Okay, so afterwards you can go and 'hang out' with Blaise, Draco and Pansy"

"No, I will never ever, EVER, hang out with Malfoy and Pansy" Rena seemed to struggle with this information.

"Blaise" She called up to her youngest son.

"What?"

"Hallie says she's coming to hang out with your and your friends."

"Okay" Blaise called down.

"What? Rena-" Hermione tried to get through to her mother.

**It's just a thought, only a thought.**

"Listen to me Hallie. I am your mother. I will NOT have you disgracing the family name by hanging around with blood traitors and the boy who whatever he is these days. I am forbidding you from seeing them after you tell them about your new family. Good day" Rena turned on her heal and walked out of the living room.

Hermione was shocked and confused. All of a sudden hoping Tom and Ellen would come and get her. She knew they wouldn't though.

"Hey, are you ready?" Hermione saw Blaise looking at her intently.

"Yeah, let's go"

Ten minutes later Hermione walked into Florean Fortescue's ice cream parlour. She found a large, out of the way booth. A waiter had appeared at her side just as she'd sat down.

"Hiya, my name's Dean. What's yours?" Hermione was about to say Hermione but realised with a pang of sadness it wasn't her name anymore.

"I'm Hallie"

"Nice to meet you, what would you like?" Hermione just realised who she was talking to.

"Dean?"

"Yes, I just told you that was my name-"

"No Dean, it's me!"

"Yes…it's you Hallie-"

"No, I'm Hermione – I was Hermione-"

**But if my life is for rent and I don't learn to buy,  
Well I deserve nothing more than I get  
Cos nothing I have is truly mine.**

"How do you know Hermione?" Dean wasn't really getting the idea so Hermione gave up and ordered a double fudge caramel sundae with a cherry and cream. How did Dean Thomas not recognise her? She'd known him for six years. Hermione's ice cream arrived in a matter of minutes and just as she took her first spoon she heard it.

"Mione?"

"Hermione, where are you? Stand up!" Hermione slowly stood up and within seconds Ron, Ginny, Harry and Fred were squashed in around her in the booth.

"Yum, ice cream" Fred dipped his finger in Hermiones ice cream and had licked it off his fingers.

"Ugh 'Mione, how can you like double fudge caramel with cream?"

"I just do! Where's George?"

"Ah, 'tis a long tale-"

"He's outside snogging Angelina" Ginny had answered with a giggle, "So, why'd you call us out here?"

"You see last night…my whole world changed when four people called to my door"

"Who?"

"Rena, Calvino, Damen and Blaise Zabini"

"ZABINI? Why'd they call? What did they do? Are you okay?"

"Yes Ron, I'm fine…well not really" Hermione proceeded by telling them the events of the previous night.

When she'd finished there was a dead silence in their booth.

"So, you're not Hermione Granger but Hallie Zabini? And you're not a muggle-born but a pureblood? And you're after leaving your house outside London with Tom and Ellen and you now live with the Zabini's, who are in fact, your real family. And your twin is Blaise Zabini of Slytherin?"

**While my heart is a shield and I won't let it down,**

"That about sums it up, yeah" Hermione looked nervously at her friends.

"Bloody hell"

Hermione turned to see Ron looking at her as if she was an alien.

"But, I'm still the same 'Mione, except my name is…Hallie…" Hermione mumbled the last part. Everyone was trying to take in the news. Hermione felt Ron's hand squeeze her hand gently. She leant toward him.

"What is it?"

"Would-would-wouldyouliketobemygirlfriend?" Ron whispered it at top speed.

"Would I what?"

"Hermione, sorry, Hallie, will you be my girlfriend?" Hermione squealed she had wanted to hear those words for years.

"Yes!" Rons eyes lit up and he gave Hermione a quick kiss on the lips and then kept a hold of her hand. Fred clapped Ron on the back as if to say well done.

"It's about time!" Hermione smiled at Ginny and her bluntness. Harry smiled knowingly at the two of them.

Quickly everything went back to being the way it had. They were having fun describing who Hermione's parent's might have been. And Hermione laughed for the first time since all this had happened. Until after about an hour Hermione felt a cold hand on her shoulder. Malfoy leaned down and whispered huskily into Hermiones ear.

"You want to come sit with me?"

Hermione turned almost instantly in her chair.

"Do I look like I want to go sit with you? NO I don't. So just leave me ALONE you stalker!"

**While I am so afraid to fail so I won't even try,**

**Well how can I say I'm alive,**

Fred, Ron and Harry had all stood up and pulled out their wands. Draco looked nonplussed.

"Ah, but remember our…moment?"

"What moment?" Ron looked angrier than Hermione had ever seen him.

"There was NO moment. It's all in your sick, twisted little head"

"If that's the way you want to play. I'll call up to your room later on" He winked at Hermione and then swaggered out of the shop.

The happy bubble that'd existed earlier on had burst. Everyone was staring at Hermione.

"There was no moment"

"Well something must've happened for him to at least think there was!" Ron looked torn up.

"All that happened was that I was in a bathrobe and needed to find an owl to get in touch with you guys so I went searching the house. I bumped into Malfoy and he cornered me and tried to feel me up and then I kicked him and ran. And that…was the 'moment'. Happy?"

"Oh" Ron still looked suspicious but turned to Hermione, "We've got to get going. Shopping and that"

"I'll go with you"

"N-no, we, uh, we've got dinner. See you. I'll send an owl later on. Bye" Ron picked up his bags and walked out, followed by Ginny and Harry.

"Don't worry 'Mione, I'll talk to him"

"Thanks Fred" Hermione mumbled. Fred followed the rest out. Hermione put some money on the table and left too.

_I've never felt so…alone in Diagon Alley…_

Hermione turned to head back to the Leaky Cauldron when she bumped into Blaise.

"You're friend was harassing me-"

**If my life is for rent...**

"Aw, come on Hal, Draco told me"

"Told you what?"

"It's okay that you like him"

"WHAT? Is that what he told you? That I like him?"

"You don't need to lie. I know, its okay" Hermione could've screamed in frustration. Instead she ran back to the Leaky Cauldron. Before anyone could figure out who she was Hermione had grabbed some Floo powder, stepped into the fire and said 'Zabini Manor'.

Appearing in the fireplace at 'home' she ran up to her room. Well, in the direction of her room. All she knew was that it was a long way from the living room and the rest of the Zabini's and that it was not pink and green. She lay down on a rug as she was too tired to go to the bed. She sat there, in silence, for hours. She heard her name being called but never even blinked. Hermione sat there until the sun started to rise. Her face was illuminated by the golden light. She fell asleep around half past six in the morning. She was tired, cold, hungry and most frightfully, alone. Her friends, as of now, didn't want to know her. Her boyfrined would probably break up with her after dating for not even twenty-four hours. She had a dad who was never around, an evil mother, an uncaring twin and an okay brother. Her family employed around forty house elves and she officialy had the most horrendous room ever.

_So much for a happy ending...

* * *

_

**A/N:** Hey guys! Thanks for reviewing! I hope you like this chapter. The song is Life for Rent - Dido. Just to let you know, from here on in, Hermione not being able to sleep etc, will NOT be how the rest of the chapters end! If oyu'd like soomething to happen sooner than it will or of you've just had an idea, let me know! Thanks a hunch of a bunch to my reviewers : musio94, mesaqt and -NH- Jackie -BL-. Thanks you guys!! I'll update soon!

Love,

Firebolt**Pheonix,**

**xxxx-**-xxxx.

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	3. Apparating Away

**Apparating Away**

Okay, sorry about the long wait for this chapter. I've been kind of forming the story in my mind and kept changing it but now I've decided so I hope everybody likes. Now, I don't want to keep you from reading any longer…

**disclaimer:** J.K owns everything except Damean, Rena and Calvino and of course the name Hallie Dasia!

Read On . . . Read On. . .

* * *

**Yesterday I lost my closest friend  
Yesterday I wanted time to end,**

The next week flew by. Hermione owled Ron nearly everyday and they were soon very close again. Harry wasn't talking to Hermione though. Lying on the sofa in the library Hermione ponders over why Harry isn't talking to her.

_Why is he not talking to me? It's been a week. Did I say something? Maybe it's that, he doesn't want me and Ron to date. No, he'd have said something earlier. Actually, thinking of Ron, I've got to go visit him today!_

Hermione pulled herself out of the sofa and walked out of the library. After ten minutes she reached her room. The house has over seven floors and is around a mile in width.

Hermione entered her room with her eyes closed. Ever so slowly she opened them.

_I really should change the colour of the walls in here. I mean I have to close my eyes when I come in!_

Hermione changed out of the sweat pants she borrowed off Blaise without him knowing. She put on her favourite pair of jeans which Tom and Ellen had bought her last Christmas, they were Citizens of Humanity, and her pink flip flops. Hermione took off the English rugby jersey Damen lent her. She had been surprised to find muggle clothes in the house but Damen is going to live like a muggle in September, so he might aswell dress like a muggle. Instead of that she put on a lemon three quarter length sleeved top. She looked at her hair. It was really bushy today and it looked like even serum wouldn't do the trick, so instead Hermione tied it back into a ponytail. A few strands of hair fell out and framed her face. Not bothering with foundation Hermione quickly swept some blush over her face. Some brown eyeliner and Vaseline and Hermione grabbed her wand and put it in her back pocket. She thought of what Mad Eye would say, "Better witches and wizards than you have had their buttocks blown off" She smiled at the thought she might see old faces today as she was going to the Burrow.

**I wonder if my heart will ever mend  
I just let you slip away**

Hermione knew the way to the living room by now so found it easily. Surprisingly Cal was in the living room. Hermione hadn't seen him for the last four days.

"Where've you been?" Hermione asked without thinking. Cal looked up from the daily prophet he was reading.

"Away" He answered with his heavy Italian accent.

"I know that, away where?"

"Scotland"

"Why?"

"Work. Why do you ask so many questions?" A look of annoyance overcame his face.

"Why is the sky blue? Why is the grass green?"

"The sky is blue because-"

"It was a rhetorical question, Cal." Hermione wondered if he was always so…business like, all the time, "Anyway, I'm going out-"

"No you're not"

_Ugh! It's her!_

"Yes I am Rena" Rena had just entered the living room in white loose pants and a green wrap effect top. She wore stiletto heels and was plastered in make-up.

**4am forever**

"Last time you went out you didn't speak to us for days"

"I didn't speak to _you_ for days. I spoke to everyone else"

"That's a lie. Damen said he hadn't spoken to you"

"Did you ever stop to think, maybe Damen lied?"

"No. No one in this family lies, except you"

"Oh well, at least we agree on something, I don't belong in this family."

"Yes you do. You are my blood-"

"Are we back to this again? Rena, blood is blood. There are no higher or lower values of it. Every single living thing on the earth needs blood to live, except plants. You need blood, so too does a person living on the streets of Calcutta. Ever had a blood transfusion?"

"So what if I did?"

"Well, more than likely you could have the blood of a _muggle born _in you. See? Blood is just that, blood. It's red and kind of gooey to look at, it dries quickly and it's warm to the touch."

I could have _mudblood _in me?" Rena sounded terrified, "Oh I've got to go to St. Mungo's and demand another, pureblood, transfusion to cancel out the mudblood in me" She apparated away. Hermione felt utterly sick.

**Maybe I'll never see you smile again  
Maybe you thought that it was all pretend;**

_How can I be related to that . . . woman??_

Cal looked up at her and said in his business like voice, "I respect you're point of view on the matter of blood but, no, you are still not going out."

"That is so unfair! Blaise is allowed out and he's only twenty minutes older than I am!"

"That's life!" Hermione looked up to see Blaise with a smug expression on his face, leaning against a pillar on the staircase. She turned and opened the front door.

"Where are you going?" Cal asked.

"Outside". Hermione slammed the door as she left the house. Blaise turned to his dad a questioning look on his face.

"What was all that about?" Cal sighed in response.

"Well Hallie told your mother that she might have mudblood blood in her from the time she needed the blood transfusion and she went off the deep end and apparated away to "get rid" of it. I then told Hallie she wasn't going out and you came in with your stupid comment so well done."

"Dad, I had no idea what was going on, I was just being me-"

"Well maybe you better change. Why are both you and your brother so useless? You won't work for the family. You won't marry who we betrothed you to. You actually don't mind mudbloods. You don't respect your mother and me and you despise the rest of the family. You're rarely around as you practically live with Lucious – not that that's a bad thing. But I've heard you have a thing for a mudblood in your filthy school." Cal roared at his youngest son.

**All these words that I could never say  
I just let them slip away,**

Damen came running at him form nowhere and before he could register what was going on, Damen was hitting him continuously, after a minute Blaise managed to drag him off Cal.

"Well, at least you don't fight like a girl, as Blaise does" Cal said as he wiped blood from the side of his mouth. Damen lunged at his father again but Blaise pulled him back and dragged him outside.

Blaise pushed and pulled his brother over to a huge oak tree and pushed him underneath it. He then collapsed down himself. The two brothers who had never been that close sat there for a few minutes, regaining their normal breathing rate.

"Are you okay?" Damen looked at Blaise, with only a hint of concern on his face.

_Typical Damen, doesn't care most of the time, then beats up dad and afterwards doesn't even care about me._

"I'm fine" Blaise answered shortly. He then got up out from under the trees and readied himself to apparated away, more than likely to the Malfoys.

"Are you sure because you look a bit-"

"I'm fine. No thanks to you-"

"No thanks to me? I just saved your butt back there!"

"My butt didn't needed saving; I had it all under control"

"Blaise-"

**4am forever**

"Leave - me – alone" With that Blaise apparated away.

"Great" Damen groaned to himself and headed back to the house.

Hermione ran out into the acres of garden that came with the house. She ran and ran and ended up in a rose garden. Hermione stared at the roses for a few minutes.

_He is so unfair! And Blaise! He's so annoying!_

Hermione decided that she'd just apparate to the Burrow anyway. And that's exactly what she did.

Seconds later Hermione arrived in a total different environment.

_Home!_

She walked up to the side door as they didn't really use the front door. She knocked. There were sounds of someone coming and then Mrs. Weasley opened the door and wrapped Hermione in one of her famous hugs.

"Oh, Hermione, how are you? You need to eat. Are you dealing okay? Has everybody been keeping in touch?"

"Mom, let her breathe" Ginny was standing in a doorway with a smile on her face.

"Hey Gin! How've you been?"

"Good. How about you?"

"Okay" Hermione looked okay but Ginny could see something in her eyes.

"Mom, we're going to go outside"

**Why don't you hear me when I'm calling out to you (to you)  
Why don't you listen when I try to make it through (to you)**

"Okay. Hermione are you sure you don't want anything to eat?"

"I'm fine thanks"

The two best friends walked outside and up a hill near the house, making small talk. Soon they reached a lake and Ginny turned on Hermione.

"Okay, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, everything's perfect"

"Hermione Jane Granger I've known you for around five years now. I know when you're okay and when you're not okay"

"It's nothing really"

"It must be something if you don't want to talk about it" Hermione usually hated how Ginny always read her like an open book but today she loved it that someone still knew her, the real her, so well.

"Well there are a lot of things. First though is, why isn't Harry talking to me?"

"Ah, well, he seems to think that you knew all along about being a pureblood and kept it from him. Also, he thinks that you really didn't support him when he was up against Voldemort and that's how Voldemort found Paravati and Padma Patil was because you tipped your _family_ off"

**Goodbye, goodbye  
Goodbye, you never know**

"He thinks that? I thought he was one of my best friends. He knows me. Or he did know me. Why would I give up two of my friend's lives? WHY WOULD HE THINK THAT?" Hermione felt a tear escape and roll down her cheek, but held back the floods of tears that threatened to fall.

"'Mione, I don't know why he thinks those things. Everyone has tried to talk to him, even Bill and Charlie. But his mind won't be changed."

"Did Ron talk to him?"

"Yeah, only once actually. All he said was "_You know that's not 'Mione"._ Then Harry said something back and Ron shut up and when he sees us trying to talk to Harry he tells us all to leave him alone. It's strange really."

"Great, even my boyfriend won't stand up for me"

"So, you two, are dating then?"

"Yeah"

"Ooh, that's great! I always thought you would. So, what else is bothering you?"

"I hate my family. My 'mother' is horrible. She calls muggleborns, mudbloods and you guys blood traitors and she's so irritating, always wanting me to go out with Malfoy, Parkinson and Blaise. Don't even get me started on Blaise. He is so frustrating. I mean it he just irks me. Today when Cal was saying I couldn't come here he was just so smug. I mean he thinks I like Malfoy and he doesn't even know where the kitchens are. Imagine, not knowing where the kitchens in your own house are. Cal, I could scream at him. He's never around. Then when he's around all he does is read the Prophet and sits at the head of the table for dinner and he has the final say in everything and most of the time it's a no. I understand now why Damen is leaving in September. I'm counting down the days to Hogwarts already. Damen is okay. I mean, I'm only just getting to know him but he seems to be the only sane one in the family. Oh and they have house elves. One tried to offer me breakfast. I now make all my own food, which annoys everyone but Damen. I need a cookbook though because I'm sick of scrambled eggs and toasted sandwiches" Hermione stopped and started breathing heavily because she'd said most of that in one breath.

**Hold a little tighter,  
4am forever.**

"Whoa" Ginny had a look of shock on her face, "And I thought our poltergeist was a bad problem. Hermione I award you a certificate of bravery for surviving a week there."

"Thanks. I'm glad I got all that off my chest"

"So what do you want to do now?"

"Can we head back down to your house? I'd like to see Ron"

"Sure we can" Ginny had a smile on her face as if everything was going to work out for Hermione. Hermione had more of a grimace on her face as she thought about returning to her 'home'. Ginny pointed to a field in a few hundred meters away.

"He's over there. I'll leave you on your own now"

Hermione thanked her and headed off to the field Ginny had pointed out.

_I know that it's weird to love someone when you've only been dating a week, but I love Ron. Ever since he came to my rescue with Harry at Halloween form the troll. He's just so sweet and kind, not to mention funny and cute. Maybe Ginny's right, maybe everything will turn out all right after all!_

Hermione saw Ron reading a book, leaning against a ditch. She snuck up behind him and covered his eyes with her hands.

"Guess who?"

"Eh, Ginny?"

"Guess again"

**Maybe one day when I can move along  
Maybe someday when you can hear this song,**

Ron parted his lips and licked Hermiones wrist.

"Yum, I think that would be Hermione Jane Granger! Or is it Hallie Zabini now?"

"Hermione will do just fine thanks!"

Ron pulled her into his lap. Stroking her hair he spoke softly to her.

"I've missed you…a lot"

"I've missed you too Ron" Hermione turned her head and they kissed, their first proper kiss as a couple. It was kind of messy on Ron's part but Hermione had thought up a solution already.

_We'll just have to have lots of practise!_

After an hour or so of…practising…Hermione decided to tell Ron what was on her mind.

"Ron, why isn't Harry talking to me?"

"He's not talking to you? I never knew that"

"Ron, I'm not the brightest which in our year for nothing you know. Why isn't he speaking to me? Did I do something wrong?"

"Hermsy it's nothing to do with you. Harry's just going through a phase. Give him time, he'll get over it"

"Ron I can't give him time. I need him, he's my best friend!"

"Can we forget about it and just have some 'us' time?"

**You won't let it slip away.  
4am forever.**

"Yeah okay, just let me go freshen up and I'll come back down pretty soon"

"Okey-doke. See you in a min"

Hermione kind of skipped up to the Burrow. Instead of going into the bathroom she headed up to the top floor, where she knew Ron was sharing his room with Harry. She threw open the door to find Harry lying on a spare bed, a book open on his knee. He contrasted starkly to the bright orange walls covered with the Chudley Cannons as he was dressed nearly in all black except for his white oversized t-shirt. He looked up and his eyes darkened when he saw who it was.

"Oh, it's you"

"Yes, it's me. Harry, what did I do for you to hate me so much?"

"Because you're a traitor. You were in cahoots with Lord Voldemort all along"

"And who gave you that idea? Kreatcher?" Hermione scoffed.

"It's not a joke. I know you were"

"Harry do you think that our six years of friendship were all a lie?"

"Yes I do actually" He replied coldly.

"B-but, how could you? Do you believe that my helping you in every fight against Voldemort was against my family's plans or something?"

"Yeah"

"So, that's it. You hate me now?"

**And I'd wish the sun would never come  
It's 4am and you are gone**

"Uh-huh, pretty much. You should go back and see Malfoy"

"One last thing Harry, I couldn't say Voldemorts name until a few months ago. I was becoming really good friends with Paravati. And for a long time I believed what Malfoy said, about my being a mudblood. I thought everything was too good to be true, what with being a witch and all so I started harming myself, trying to figure out if it was dream or not. In November I finally stopped cutting. If you don't believe me I'll show you the scars. I've been being bullied, unbeknownst to you and everybody else for the past three years. But you're strength and courage against everything that was put against you, inspired me to stand up for myself. I finally found who I was, just these last few months. And now it's been taken away from me. And you have the nerve to think, I've wanted it. That I've been planning against you. Obviously I was very wrong in my perception of you as a person Harry. I never knew you to be so cold. Angry yes, but never cold, not to people you cared about. Now I see that I'm not one of the people you care about anymore"

Harry opened his mouth to respond, but was in too much shock too speak. Hermione ran out of the room and down four flights of stairs to where the bathroom was situated. She went inside and cleaned her face up and cast a spell to get rid of her red eyes. After a few minutes she left the bathroom and went down stairs to the kitchen where Mrs. Weasley was making dinner.

**I hope you know you're letting go  
It's 4am and I'm alone**

"Mrs. Weasley, would it be okay if I stayed for dinner?"  
"Oh of course, you were looking a bit thin awhile ago. And you know me, everybody's got to eat! How's the food at Zabini manor?"

"It's, err, plain" Hermione grimaced thinking of her pathetic attempts to cook for herself.

"How come? I hear Rena is a fantastic cook!"

Hermione started laughing, so much that she couldn't barley breathe. Eventually she regained her composure and spoke.

"Rena, I believe has never cooked a meal in her life"

"Really? So where does all the delicious food come form?"

"Houselves"

"She has houselves cooking for her? Why that cheating wicked woman of the wizarding world!"

"Mrs. Weasley, are you okay?"  
"She's beaten me every year since Ronald was born in a cake baking competition, you know, you bake it at home and it gets judged but now I see she's cheated every year at it!"

"Yeah, she does have that sort of untrustworthy air about her. Sorry about the cake competition" Hermione wasn't really, that shocked that Rena could lie in a competition.

**Why don't you hear me when I'm calling out to you (to you)  
Why don't you listen when I try to make it through (to you)**

"So Hermione, dinner will be ready in forty-five minutes"

"Thanks, I'll let Ron know" Hermione walked over to where Ron was in the field, sleeping and curled up next to him. He put his arm around her and drew her close.

"Ron…what about 'us' time?" Hermione whispered seductively. Ron woke with a start.

"I believe that time has come m'lady!"

They _practised_ for nearly three quarters of an hour.

"Ron! Dinner's happening now!"

"You're here for dinner?"

"Yes, is that a problem?"

"No, it's a solution to a problem. Maybe now Harry will talk!"

Hermione actually dreaded that possibility but didn't let it show. As they entered the kitchen Mrs. Weasley showed them to there seats, it looked like Ginny had taken Hermione's seat so she was now sat next to Charlie at the end of the really long table.

"Hey Charlie!"

"Hermione, what are you here for?"

"Dinner"

"No, I mean, don't you want to sit with Ron, I could get Ginny to swap"

Hermione looked around her and then back at Charlie.

**Goodbye, goodbye  
Goodbye, you never know**

"Nope, I think here will be just fine thanks!"

Harry came down and sat at the opposite end of the table to Hermione. She looked at her plate and played with her fork while Mrs. Weasley was serving the food. After awhile, she hadn't eaten much and was in a world of her own

"Psst, Hermione, anybody in there?"

"Huh" Hermione snapped out of her daze and noticed it was Charlie that had spoken. "Oh, sorry, I'm just, a bit preoccupied that's all"

"About Harry?" Charlie gave her a quick glance and looked back at his dinner, waiting for her reply.

"Is it that obvious?"

"Kinda!"

"Well, I just don't know if I should be here. I mean, he needs space to-"

"He shouldn't need space; it's not as if he's going through what you're going through. He should be there for you, comforting and all that and you deserve to be away form your new freaky family for a few hours"

"You know Charlie, underneath all your rough and caveman like exterior, you do have a brain and you are a really good listener! Although you could use that brain of yours to tell you how not to eat like a pig!"

Charlie's reply was to rip off a chunk of the chicken leg he was holding and chew it with his mouth open, a wide-eyed expression on his face. He swallowed and winked at Hermione.

**Hold a little tighter.**

"You see, I eat like a pig, because it gets such a rise outta my dear ole mum! Watch"

He repeated what he'd done before with the chicken leg and chewed with his mouth open again.

"CHARLIE CHRISTOPHER WEASLEY! FOR HEAVENS SAKE CHEW WITH YOUR MOUTH CLOSED. DON'T YOU EVER LET ME SEE YOU DOING THAT AGAIN! DO YOU HEAR ME?"

"Loud and clear mother! Loud and clear" She turned back to Fleur and Bill and continued their conversation as if nothing had happened.

"That's so mean! You're moms lovely and she loves you all so much!"

"'Mione, the word Mollycoddle did come from somewhere you know" He said as he pointed at Mrs. Weasley. Hermiones response was to swat him on the arm.

"Come on, the food will be cold if we don't eat up"

A little while later Hermione was sitting in Rons lap outside on a swing, stargazing.

"Hermsy, did you talk to Harry at all today?"

"Uh, no"

"Why not? I mean he's Harry, it's just a phase he's going through"

"Ron, I just don't think I'll be able to face him for another while"

"Okay, when you're ready I'll be there, fast as lightning, to be your protector"

"Thanks"

**Why don't you hear me when I'm calling out to you (to you)  
Why don't you listen when I try to make it through (to you)**

Ron drew her close and tucked a few stray strands of hair behind her ear.

"How about a midnight kiss for your prince?"

"It's midnight? As in _MIDNIGHT_ midnight?"

"Yeah, at least, that's what my watch says"

Hermione jumped out of Rons lap and picked her wand up off the ground.

_I have to get home! They're going to skin me alive!_

"Ron, can I use you're fireplace to Floo to my room so they'll think I was there all along?"

"Uh, yeah, sure, go ahead"

Hermione ran into the kitchen and found the Floo powder. She stood on her tip toes, pulled Ron close and kissed him. It wasn't a long kiss but a goodbye kiss. As she was about to stand into the hearth Bill entered the kitchen. He waved goodbye to Hermione as she was swallowed up by flames.

She arrived at the Manor around five past twelve. Quickly she changed into her pyjamas and crept under the duvet. She turned on her side and closed her eyes just as her door was opened.

"Oh, she must've been in the bathroom Rena or in the kitchens awhile ago, you know how she loves the kitchens. Come, now, we'll head to bed too"

Calvin, took his wife by the arm and closed the door behind her. Hermione waited until their footsteps died away to breathe a sigh of relief.

**Goodbye, goodbye  
Goodbye, you never know**

CRACK!

Hermione nearly fell out of the bed. Someone had just apparated onto her bed.

"Whoever's there, you're on my kneecaps!"

"Sorry"

"Damen?"

"Nuh uh, Blaise"

"What are _you _doing here?"

"Eh, to see where you disappeared to and how you got home without them noticing!"

"Where I went is none of your business but I just Flooed here and then changed and went to bed"

"That's a great idea!"

"Well if they somehow figure out what really happened you will be murdered in your sleep"

"ME?" Blaise was now lying on Hermiones calves and she was beginning to lose feeling in them.

"Yes, who else would tell? And besides you're a little snitch anyway"

"Little? I'm older than you! And I am not a snitch"

"Sure your not" She laughed, "Thanks for your vote of support today _brother._ It really helped!"

**Hold a little tighter  
4am forever...**

"I had no clue what was going on!"

"Yeah well, nothing new there is it?" Hermione instantly regretted what she'd said, "Blaise, I didn't mean that I swear. Though you could be a bit more civil to me"

"Like how?"

"I don't know maybe like by getting off me!"

"Sorry"

"Can you just leave please; you're now squashing my pancreas!" Hermione was gasping for air. Blaise gave her a sheepish look which she caught in the moonlight and apparated away, up to his room, wherever his room was.

"Brothers, what use do they have? None! Who needs them? Not me anyway" Hermione rolled over on her side again, massaging her legs and muttering about how useless brothers are.

* * *

**Authors Note: **I hope you like! Sorry the wait was so long. I have exams until June 15th but decided to update amidst all my studies because I felt really bad for just, abandoning you! The song is Lostprophets – 4am Forever. I chose it becasue in some parts it relates to the Harry/Hermione situation. Anyway, this story will be written, in real time, you know, I'll write it over the summer and it'll take place over the summer! I won't update until my exams are over. I hope I don't get like viruses sent to me because of the super long wait! Thanks to my reviewers: Katy, 0-Jackie-0 and Ellemay my loyal reviewer! Thanks for checking it out!. Anyways, gotta go now, my feet are cold! 

Love Always,

Firebolt**Pheonix,**

**xxxxx-**xxxxx

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